5/3/1 Boring But Big
Wendler's 5/3/1 with high-volume back-off. Slow, steady strength.
- Length
- 12 weeks
- Frequency
- 4 days/week
- Session
- ~60 min
- Level
- Intermediate
The program
Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 with the Boring But Big template. Four days, one main lift per day: squat, bench, deadlift, press. Three working sets built off a conservative training max with an all-out AMRAP top set, then 5x10 of the opposite lift for volume, then targeted assistance.
Percentages shown in the app are of your TRUE 1RM — already converted from Wendler's training max (90% of 1RM), so there is no spreadsheet arithmetic between you and the bar.
Three 4-week cycles with a deload every fourth week. After each cycle add 2.5 kg to upper-body lifts and 5 kg to lower-body lifts — or let a new rep PR on the AMRAP set raise your estimated 1RM and the numbers move themselves. Slow progress is fast progress.
Week 1, as written
The actual first-week prescriptions from the app — exercises, sets, tempos and rests, exactly as the program runs them.
Session 1Squat Day▾
| Back Squat | 3 × 5–8 · 77% 1RM · 3 min rest |
| Deadlift | 5 × 10 · 45% 1RM · 90s rest |
| Walking Lunge | 3 × 10–12 · 1 min rest |
| Hanging Knee Raise | 3 × 10–15 · 1 min rest |
Session 2Bench Day▾
| Barbell Bench Press | 3 × 5–8 · 77% 1RM · 3 min rest |
| Overhead Press | 5 × 10 · 45% 1RM · 90s rest |
| Chest-Supported Row | 5 × 10 · 1 min rest |
| Parallel Bar Dips | 3 × 8–12 · 1 min rest |
Session 3Deadlift Day▾
| Deadlift | 3 × 5–8 · 77% 1RM · 3 min rest |
| Back Squat | 5 × 10 · 45% 1RM · 90s rest |
| Ab Wheel Rollout | 3 × 8–12 · 1 min rest |
| Back Extension | 3 × 10–15 · 1 min rest |
Session 4Press Day▾
| Overhead Press | 3 × 5–8 · 77% 1RM · 3 min rest |
| Barbell Bench Press | 5 × 10 · 45% 1RM · 90s rest |
| Chin-Up | 5 × 5–8 · 1 min rest |
| Dumbbell Curl | 3 × 10–12 · 1 min rest |
Week 1 as programmed in the app. Later weeks progress loads, volume and variations block by block.
How it progresses
- —5/3/1 wave each cycle: 5s week, 3s week, 5/3/1 week, deload.
- —The last main set every day is an AMRAP — that is where rep PRs live.
- —+2.5 kg upper / +5 kg lower per cycle, or ride a new AMRAP rep PR to a higher estimated 1RM.
- —5x10 back-off volume on the opposite lift keeps the size coming while the top sets stay conservative.
Who it's for
- —You have your novice gains and want a program that respects the long game.
- —You want one big lift a day and a clear top set to attack.
- —You want volume without complexity — 5x10 is boring, and it works.
Methods inside
Equipment
Barbell · Squat Rack · Bench · Pull-up Bar · Dumbbells · Dip Station
Questions
What is the difference between training max and true 1RM?
Wendler's percentages run off a training max set at 90% of your real 1RM. PRESZN does that conversion for you: every percentage you see in the app is of your true, estimated 1RM, updated as you log sets.
How do the AMRAP sets get scored?
Every hard set you log is scored against your own trailing 4-week average for that lift. An AMRAP that pushes your estimated 1RM past your average takes the point — you race yourself, session after session.
Is Boring But Big good for size as well as strength?
Yes — that is the point of the template. The 5x10 back-off work carries the hypertrophy while the 5/3/1 waves carry the strength. Expect both, slowly.
What if I miss reps on the top set?
Finish the cycle, keep the same numbers for the next one rather than adding weight, and let the AMRAP sets rebuild momentum. 5/3/1 punishes impatience and rewards showing up.